teeth whitening

Your smile creates an immediate, subconscious, visual impact on people you meet. A brighter smile makes the person look younger, healthier, and happier.

Causes of Tooth Discoloration

People have different colors of skin and hair, also, they have genetic differences in tooth color. Some teeth are more yellow, while others are naturally whiter.

Natural tooth color can be changed by a number of causes. Different foods and tobacco can stain the surface of the teeth.

The main causes of external tooth yellowing are smoking, coffee, tea, carrots, oranges, and other foods. Discoloration of the tooth internally can result from exposure to high levels of fluoride. Also use of antibiotics as a child (tetracycline), developmental disorders, tooth decay, restorations, root canal issues, and trauma can discolor the teeth.

Fortunately there is a solution to tooth discoloration. At Family Dentistry of San Antonio we offer teeth whitening procedures that have been proven to be a safe and efficient!

Types of Teeth Whitening

There are various ways to whiten your teeth, however the two most common are in-office treatment and homebleaching

In-Office Teeth Whitening

Professional tooth whitening in our office is the quickest and the safest whitening method. Even though stronger agents are applied, the rest of the mouth, including the gums, is protected from these materials. We use the best whitening system available that protects the tooth enamel from damage, is extremely effective, and can transform teeth in a single office visit. Your teeth can literally brighten up to 10 shades in about an hour. This is a video a patient shared with us going through the complete ZOOM.

In-office whitening affects only the front eight teeth and is a great jump start for take-home whitening, which is always part of our whitening program.

Home Bleaching

Home bleaching is a very popular cosmetic procedure. It is a simple, conservative, and effective method to whiten your natural teeth. You will typically see dramatic results within two weeks. In the spectrum of cosmetic dental procedures, whitening is an economical way to achieve a remarkably improved smile.

With in-home bleaching, we make an impression for a model of the teeth, fabricate a custom-fitted tray and prescribe a bleaching agent that comes in the form of a bleaching gel. The gel is placed in the custom-fitted tray and worn for 20 minutes daily or at night for about two weeks. The amount of time the custom-fitted tray is worn and the duration may vary according to a person’s individual need.

We will monitor the entire process of in-home bleaching to assure its effectiveness and safety. It should be noted that your existing fillings, bonding, or crowns will not change color and may need to be replaced to match your new, whiter teeth.